Chapter 19 — The Promise of a Demobilized Soldier

The hall of the largest hotel in Tan Hoa city was brightly lit, with flags and flowers spread from the entrance to the main stage, where a giant backdrop printed the words "Celebrating 20 years of establishment of Dong Thinh Group" and the company logo sparkling with gold. Hundreds of guests, including representatives of departments, business associations, large and small distribution, purchasing, and export partners throughout the region, entered one by one amid bustling welcome music.

Thanh Phong, in a neat suit borrowed from Ben, entered the hall with a valid invitation arranged by Mr. Le Hoang Vinh, accompanying Bao Chau as an assistant. Both tried to stay calm and blend in with the crowd, but inside each person was as tense as a string, fully aware that even a small mistake could cause the entire plan to collapse before it could even begin.

In another corner of the city, lawyer Doan Bao Nghia is completing the final procedures to submit an official denunciation to the economic police agency, scheduled to be filed right at the time of the event. Journalist Pham Thi Nhan, along with a cameraman colleague, was present in the hall early in the name of a reporter covering the event, the camera cleverly disguised in a fashionable handbag. Mr. Tu and Mr. Ca Duong, in their best clothes, sat quietly in the last row, closely escorted by two young veterans.

The ceremony began with a speech by Diep Chan Vi, standing on stage in a luxurious black suit, his voice full of pride as he reviewed the twenty-year journey of building Dong Thinh from a small real estate brokerage to a leading multi-industry corporation in the region. Applause rang out endlessly after every sentence he spoke, the image of a successful businessman and talented leader was perfectly painted before the eyes of everyone present.

But as soon as the official speech ended, before entering the exchange part, Chan Vi suddenly changed his tone, his eyes glanced around the hall and stopped right where Thanh Phong was standing, as if he had known of his presence from the beginning.

"Before continuing the program, I would like to say one thing, because this is an occasion where all of our most important partners are present." Chan Vi raised his voice, the sound echoed throughout the hall through the speaker system. "Recently, there has been some false information, slandering Dong Thinh's business activities, spread by a few individuals with bad intentions, to discredit our group because of unnecessary personal conflicts. I would like to announce that this morning, Dong Thinh's legal team has officially filed a lawsuit against Mr. Do Thanh Phong, owner of Binh Minh Agricultural Products Company, for slander and unfair competition."

The whole hall was in an uproar, hundreds of eyes focused on Thanh Phong, who was still standing there, his face expressionless even though he clearly realized in his heart that this was the preemptive strike that Chan Vi had prepared, a move to stifle any of his counterattack efforts right from the bud, turning him from an accuser into an accused before he could even open his mouth.

"Mr. Phong, please come up here so everyone can hear you explain what you did." Chan Vi continued, his voice still calm but containing a hard-to-conceal victory, like a tiger that has set its trap, now just waiting for its prey to step in.

Thanh Phong took a deep breath, feeling Bao Chau's eyes next to him looking at him, a look that was both worried and full of trust. He walked up to the stage, each step echoing clearly amid the heavy silence of the entire hall.

"Thank you Mr. Vi for giving me this opportunity." Thanh Phong spoke up, his voice was clear, without any fear. "It is true that I recently learned about some issues related to Dong Thinh Group's agricultural product purchasing activities. But that is not slander, but the truth, built on specific, verifiable evidence."

"You dare to make such an assertion in front of so many people present?" Chan Vi smiled faintly, his voice full of challenge. "Mr. Phong, you should remember, an unfounded accusation can cost you a lot, not only legally but also in terms of the honor and reputation of your own company."

"If it is unfounded, I am willing to bear all responsibility before the law." Thanh Phong replied, his eyes never leaving Chan Vi. "But if I can prove this is true, I hope you and all the partners present here today will also honestly acknowledge the problem."

The atmosphere in the hall became suffocatingly tense. Diep Chan Long, standing in the crowd below the stage, lightly signaled Scar and a few juniors disguised as waiters scattered around the hall, ready to intervene if the situation went too far from the scenario they had planned.

"Okay, I'll give you a chance to explain." Chan Vi spoke, his voice still pretending to be tolerant in front of the crowd, but his eyes were as cold as ice. "But I'll say it first, if you can't provide convincing evidence, I won't stop at this slander lawsuit. I will make sure every bank and every partner in the region knows the nature of your company, so that no one dares to cooperate with Binh Minh again. More than two hundred people are working under you, their fate now lies in the words you are about to say, Mr. Phong."

That sentence was like a cold knife cutting into Thanh Phong's heart. Chan Vi publicly bet, in front of everyone, the entire life of Binh Minh company and the future of more than two hundred disabled veterans on the scale, as a final, definitive declaration of war. If Thanh Phong does not have enough evidence, not only will his honor be trampled, but the entire community of people who have trusted him will completely collapse.

Thanh Phong turned back to look down at the hall, where Bao Chau was standing, her eyes met his, a slight but powerful nod, as if to confirm that all the evidence they had painstakingly collected over the past several weeks was ready. He looked down at the last row of seats, where Mr. Tu and Mr. Ca Duong were sitting. The eyes of the two old farmers also shone with a rare steadfastness, ready to step out at any time necessary.

"Mr. Vi bet so big," Thanh Phong said, his voice resounding sharply in the silent hall, "so I would also like to bet equally. If what I am about to present is true, I hope you and all the partners present today will see the true nature of Dong Thinh Group, exactly what has silently happened to dozens of farming families over the years."

Chan Vi frowned slightly, for the first time that evening, a moment of insecurity flashed across his always confident face. He signaled the host to prepare the screen, still trying to keep his voice calm. "Okay, Mr. Phong, please explain. But I repeat, this is the last chance."

Just as Bao Chau had just taken a few steps toward the stage, Chan Long, standing in the crowd, suddenly interrupted, his voice harsh and deliberately disruptive. "Mr. Vi, why would you let an outsider whose name is not on the official guest list come onto your company's stage like that? This is Dong Thinh's conference, not a place for anyone to say whatever they want."

A few murmurs of approval rang out somewhere in the crowd, clearly people who had been arranged by Chan Long in advance to create public pressure on the spot. Bao Chau stopped in the middle of the stage, but she did not flinch, turned to look straight at Chan Long, her voice was calm but loud enough for the whole hall to hear clearly.

"I am here as a valid guest, through the sponsorship of business partner Mr. Le Hoang Vinh, and I am here not to cause trouble, but to present the truth directly related to the interests of many partners present in this hall." She said, her eyes scanning the faces that were watching. "If you are concerned about authenticity, I am willing to let anyone verify every number, every document I am about to present right here."

Chan Vi looked at his brother, shook his head slightly to signal to stop, realizing that the more difficult he was at this time, the more suspicious the situation would become in the eyes of the attendees. "Okay, just let her explain. Dong Thinh has nothing to fear from the truth." He spoke, his voice still trying to maintain confidence, but his hand on the podium was tighter than usual, a small detail that only those who are observant will notice.

Bao Chau continued to walk onto the stage, holding a tablet with all the data and evidence prepared. Journalist Nhan quietly adjusted the hidden camera angle, preparing to record everything that was about to happen. The whole hall waited with bated breath, no one knew that, in the next few minutes, the entire true picture of the most powerful business empire in the Tan Hoa region was about to be exposed to light.